Display device



1955 R. o. SMYTHE 2,699,620

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 13, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

BY ROBERT 0. Smyrnz A T TORNEY United States Patent O DISPLAY DEVICE Robert 0. Smythe, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Application April 13, 1951, Serial No. 220,881

3 Claims. (Cl. 40-132) This invention relates in general to advertising means and in particular to a flashing sign which periodically changes color.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a display apparatus which is lighted in such a manner that it periodically changes color.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved sign which changes color in response to flashing of a light source.

A feature of this invention is found in the provision for a box-shaped cover member which has mounted therein a first emitting source giving oif energy outside of the visible spectrum and a second emitting source giving off visible light. An advertising cover fits to the open side of the box and has an advertising display formed thereon. A fluorescent coating is deposited on the back of the cover behind the advertising material so that the display appears in one color when the visible light source is on, and appears another color when the visible light source is oif and the fluorescent coating is emitting due to the stimulus of the first emitting source.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in view of the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the display apparatus of this invention with the front cover removed; and,

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the display means of this invention with the advertising cover in place thereon.

With reference to Figure l a box-shaped cover member is formed with a back wall 11, end walls 12 and 13, and side walls 14 and 16. The side opposite the wall 11 is open and side wall 16 slopes outwardly as best shown in Figure 2.

Mounted to the end walls 12 and 13 adjacent the junction of side wall 16 with the back wall 11 are sockets and 17 such as are used to mount lamps of the fluorescent type.

A lamp 18 is mounted between the sockets 15 and 17. This bulb is a fluorescent or cold cathode type, black light lamp which might have a radiation peak around 3600 Angstrom. The length of the lamp may vary, of course, but applicant has successfully used an 18 inch length. The lamp may be a GE type 360 BL with a power output of 15 watts.

One contact 20 of socket 15 is connected to one side of a starter 19. Starters are well known to, those skilled in the fluorescent art and will not be described in detail herein. One contact of socket 17 is connected to the opposite side of the starter 19.

The second contact 21 of socket 15 is connected to a ballast 22 of the type used with fluorescent lamps and the opposite side of the ballast is connected to one side of a power supply. The power supply may be 115 volts, 60 cycle alternating current. The second contact 23 of sockelat 17 is connected to the opposite side of the power su y.

lv lountecl to the side wall 14 are a pair of sockets 24 and 26 of the type for incandescent lamps.

Incandescent lamps 27 and 28 are received in the sockets 24 and 26. They may be 40 watt bulbs, for example.

One contact 29 of socket 26 is connected to one side of the power supply and the other contact 30 of socket 26 is connected to a contact 31 of socket 24. The other contact 32 of socket 24 is connected to a flasher 33. The other side of the flasher 33 is connected to the other side of the power supply.

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The flasher 33 may be of the bi-metallic type and periodically makes and breaks the circuit to the lamps 27 and 28 so that when power is supplied, they flash on and ofl.

As best shown in Figure 2, a pair of longitudinal holding brackets 34 and 36 are connected to the back wall 11 and side wall 16, respectively, adjacent the lamp 18.

A filter glass 37 is received in the brackets 34 and 36 and filters the visible emission from the lamp 18. The glass might be a blue cobalt glass, for example.

Adjacent the open side of the box along the edge of the wall 14 is formed a U-shaped bracket 38 and along the edge of the wall 16 is formed a U-shaped bracket 39.

A display plate 41 is formed with engaging portions 42 and 43 at either side and are received in the brackets 38 and 39. The plate 41 has display material on its front surface and is lighted from the rear by the lamp 18 and the incandescent lamps 27 and 28. The plate 41 might be of plastic such as Lucite :and all portions of the plate through which no light is desired are coated with a black paint or other coating and the display letters or objects 44 are left free of paint so that the light from the rear will shine therethrough.

On the rear of the plate 41 behind the letters 44 a fluorescent coating is deposited on the plate 41.

The fluorescent coating has the characteristic that when it is stimulated by the black light from the lamp 18 it will produce an emission of colored light as, for example, red. Fluorescent powders are well known to those skilled in the art and may be obtained to give off nearly any desired color.

In operation when power is supplied to the display de vice the black light lamp 18 goes on and produces an emission to stimulate the fluorescent powder deposited on the rear of the plate 41 behind the letters 44. At the same time the bulbs 27 and 28 are turned on and give a substantially white emission. The intensity of the light from bulbs 27 and 28 is so great that when they are on the fluorescent effect caused by the black light lamp 18 is blankedout and the letters 44 will appear natural. When, however, the flasher 33 turns the bulbs 27 and 28 off the emission from the lamp 18 will cause the fluorescent material deposited behind the letters 44 to emit colored light.

The plate 41 has been described as having a transparent area where the display appears and as having a black coating over the remainder of the surface. Such a structure well illustrates the principles of the invention, however, the background may be translucent instead of light impervious. For example, applicant has made a display device wherein the background is red translucent material and a fluorescent design is formed on the background. When the incandescent lamps are on, the translucent background appears red and the design is invisible. When the incandescent lamps are turned off, the fluorescent design shines through the translucent background and gives an eerie phantom eflect.

By using varying degrees of light transmissibility for the various areas many novel and attractive effects may be obtained.

Thus, this invention provides means for periodically changing the color of a display device in a new and novel manner.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is not to be so limited as changes and modifications may be made that are within the full intended scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A display device for periodically changing the color of the display comprising, a generally rectangular cover member, a fluorescent type black light source mounted between opposite end walls of said cover member, an incandescent light source mounted in said cover member, power supplied to said black light source and said incandescent light source, a flasher for periodically turning said incandescent light source on and off mounted in series with the incandescent light source, a cover plate mounted to an open side of said cover member, said cover plate formed with transparent portions, and a fluorescent powder deposited on the rear side of said cover plate behind said transparent portions.

lamp .mountedbetween opposite end walls .ofi said cover jmember-tand producing an, emission outside the visible spectrum, an incandescent'li'ght source mounted to said cover member, a flasher mounted 1n S6I16S Wlth said incandcscent source, arpower supply supplying; power to the incandescent light source through the flasherand also supplying power. to the first=lamp, a cover plate mounted to i'the open sideof said'covermember'and coated so as to; prevent light from, passingtherethrough; portions of said coverplatei free of said coating. torallow light to pass thcrethrou'gh, fluorescenttpowder deposited on the' back .ofithe coverplatelbehind.theportions free of the coatinglmate'rial, andhsaidrfluorescent powder activated bythe .bla'clcli'ght .emissiontto produce. colored light.

I3.JA fdisplayrdevice which periodicallyichangesin color comprising aw generally rectangular cover member with one sidelopen,ailuorescent' type black :light lamp 'mounted between :opposite endwalls of said cover mem- :ber,v a'ffluorescent starter-connected between first terminals at opposite endsbf=said fluorescentlamp, one'side of. apower supply connected to the other terminals at one end of said fluorescent lamp, a ballast connected to the other terminal at the opposite end of the lamp, the other side of the ballast connected to the other side of the power supply, an incandescent light source mounted to said cover member, one side of the power supply connected to the incandescent lamp, the other side of the incandescent lamp connected" in series with a flasher to the other side of the power supply, a cover plate mounted to the open side of the cover member, said cover plate coated with a light impervious :material, a portion of said cover plate free of said impervious coating to allow light to pass' therethrou'gh; a :fluorescent material deposited on the cover'plate behind the coating-free portions, and said fluorescent material excited by the black light emission to produce a colored emission.

References Cited in the file of this patent ,UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,725,206 Peterson Aug. 20, 1929 $015,170 Ward Sept. 24, 1935 2,213,868 Lucian Sept. 3, 1940 

